© Harlan Levey Projects / Photography: Damon De Backer

Seeking to facilitate the production and dissemination of artistic research into broader civic discussion, Harlan Levey Projects isn’t shy to venture into untrodden grounds within Brussels‘ urban sprawl. The contemporary art gallery shows a nomadic trail through the city and currently maintains an exhibition space in the leafy Elsene district. But as of late, the gallery has once again flaunted its adventurous side, expanding its footprint with a additional outpost in Molenbeek, widely known as a rough neighbourhood and no-go zone. Called HLP 1080, after the area’s postal code, the venue is not only home to a large exhibition space, but also the studio and showroom of Belgian artists Noro Khachatryan and Emmanuel Van der Auwera, and aims to be a hub for kindred creative spirits.

The inaugural show by Polish artist Marcin Dudek, ominously entitled Slash and Burn II, opens on Thu – Apr 29 and is the second part of a diptych that started at the end of last year, exploring further the underground and anarchistic hooligan culture which the artist participated in as a youth in his native Poland. The show is an allegory of Dudek’s passage from childhood to adulthood, from communism to capitalism, and from hooligan to artist. As a former member of football club KS Cracovia‘s hooligan fan base, the artist engaged in numerous brawls, wearing a black bomber jacket with bright orange lining, and it’s both an element and colour that has shaped this highly personal showcase. On display, across several rooms, is a large site-specific installation, paintings and photo collages.

Harlan Levey Projects
Isidoor Teirlinckstraat 65 (Molenbeek)
1080 Brussels
Telephone: +32 485 699146
Open by appointment only

© Harlan Levey Projects / Photography: Damon De Backer